


The Thunderous Turnabouts

by snowyrunes



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, 逆転裁判 | Gyakuten Saiban | Ace Attorney
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pokemon AU, Pretty much everyone in the Original Trilogy will make an appearance at some point, That's the plan anyways
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-17
Updated: 2017-12-19
Packaged: 2018-11-15 01:44:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11220672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snowyrunes/pseuds/snowyrunes
Summary: In the world of Pokémon, lawyers battle it out in court- in more ways than one! Phoenix may just be starting off, but at least he has a team of Pokémon he can count on to help him out. Oh, and Sparky, but he mostly stays home.Huh, who's Sparky? Why, Phoenix’s trusty Fearow, of course! What's that? He looks a little odd for a Fearow? Well, that's because he’s a shiny, obviously! ...Fearow don't normally know electric type moves? ...Uh…





	1. A Prelude to the Turnabout

August 3rd 2016  
Phoenix Wright’s Apartment  
Saffron City, 7:45 AM

“Coo…”

Phoenix pushed away the beak that was nuzzling him. “Sparky, not now…” he murmured, flipping over to go back to sleep.

“...Coo!” There was another insistent nudge, then-

ZAP!

“Erk!” Phoenix’s eyes flew open as he felt a bolt of electricity jolt through him. As in, actual, literal electricity. His legs jerked, and he was vaguely aware of kicking something off the bed. “All right! All right! I'm up!”

Letting out another satisfied croon, Sparky folded back his wings, lying back down on his side of the bed. Phoenix sighed, giving the Pokémon an affectionate pat. Feeling that something was off, he looked around.

“Huh? Where’s Shakespeare?”

“...Gul…” Came a faint cry from under the bed. Swinging his head down over the side of the bed, Phoenix located the offended looking Smeargle.

“Ah… Sorry about kicking you off the bed, buddy.”

“...Smee…”

“Hey, don't give me that look! It was an accident!”

“...” The Pokémon regarded his trainer suspiciously for a moment, then sneezed, coughing a few times.

“Uh oh,” Phoenix said, sliding down off the bed and kneeling beside it. “That doesn't sound good.” He pulled Shakespeare out and put a hand to his head. He felt warm. “Let's go check your temperature.” He fetched a thermometer from the medicine cabinet of his room, returning as quickly as possible. “Okay,” he said, “Say ‘ahh’!”

“...Gul!”

Phoenix took his temperature. “...Yep, that's definitely a fever,” he said, frowning at the thermometer in his hand. “Aw man, I can't take you anywhere like this… And we have court today, too…”

Something clicked in Phoenix’s brain. “The trial!” He exclaimed, rushing to his feet. “Shoot! What time is it?!” He glanced at the alarm clock. “Augh, I’m gonna be late…”

“Coo?” Sparky trilled, poking his head up with some concern.

“...No, it's fine, I can make it,” Phoenix assured him. “...But seriously, I’ve got to get ready.” He patted Shakespeare on the head. “Take it easy today, okay? Sparky will take care of you.”

“Gul.”

“I'm counting on you Sparky!”

“Coo!”

Phoenix got dressed quickly. He went into the kitchen, filling up food bowls for Sparky and Shakespeare. The two of them were well-behaved, so they could be trusted to eat only when they were hungry. He grabbed the fish-Pokémon food, and headed over to the large aquarium, which took up most of the back wall of the living room.

“Well, looks like it's just you and me today,” he said.

* * *

August 3rd, 9:47 AM  
Saffron City Court  
Defendant Lobby No. 2

“Lock me up! Give me the death penalty! It's all over!”

‘ _Oh boy,_ ’ Phoenix thought to himself. ‘ _What have I gotten myself into?_ ’

“Dude, Nick!” Larry whined, clinging onto his longtime friend. “It's not fair! Who took her from me, Nick?! Who took my Cindy awaaaay?!” He sniffed. “And that's not even the worst part! Junior… They took the Butz Jr. away too!”

“B-Butz Jr.?!” Phoenix stuttered. “Larry… you have a son?!”

“What? Of course not!” Larry snapped. “Butz Jr. is my Bidoof! Remember?”

“O-oh… Right…”

“They're treating him like a criminal!” Larry growled. “It's not fair! He's innocent, I tell you! Nick, you've gotta get the right verdict! You can't let them lock him up!”

‘ _...I’d be less worried about that Bidoof than what's going to happen to you if I can't get a “not guilty”..._ ’

“Char!”

“Huh…?” Phoenix looked down at Larry’s side. “They let you keep Red?”

“Oh, yeah,” Larry said, looking down at the Charmeleon. “They couldn't find any proof that he'd done anything at the crime scene, so they let him stay with me.”

‘ _In other words, he’s not being treated as evidence,_ ’ Phoenix thought. ‘ _...I'm not sure if I should be worried or relieved._ ’

Larry was… a troublemaker, to be sure. When something smelled, it was usually the Butz. And when something was accidentally flame-broiled to a crisp, it was probably Red. The pair had been troublemakers ever since elementary school, back when Red was still a Charmander. Phoenix could only pray they wouldn't burn the courtroom down.

“Come now, Phoenix. That isn't a look you should be giving your client.”

Phoenix turned in the direction of the voice. “C-Chief!”

Mia smiled at him warmly. “A lawyer always smiles for his client, even when things get tough. Now come on, let's see you try out some confidence.”

“Yeah Nick!” Larry said. “How am I supposed to have any faith in you when you look like we’ve already lost!”

‘H-Hey! I'm trying my best for you here!’

“...As easy to read as ever,” Mia said. “Well, your poker face is something we can work on later. For now, just focus on the facts of the case.”

“R-Right… the facts… of the case…”

“You… _did_ read the case file, didn't you?” Mia asked, looking concerned.

“Y-Yeah, I read it! N-not this morning, but… you know, at some point…”

“Phoenix!” she scolded.

“Nick! What are you doing?!” Larry screeched.

“H-Hey, I couldn't help it! Shakespeare was sick this morning, so I ran late!”

“Ugh… At least give it a look-over before we have to go,” Mia said.

“Excuse me-” the bailiff interrupted. “The trial is about to begin. Please make your way to the courtroom.”

“...Or read it on your way in, I suppose,” she muttered, revising her previous statement.

“Nick…” Larry said, looking genuinely concerned.

“D-Don't worry Larry! I've got this!” Phoenix said. ' _I_ _-I can do this! I owe it to Larry to prove his innocence! I won't let them find him guilty of a crime he didn't do- no matter what!_ ’

* * *

August 3rd, 10:00 AM  
Saffron City Court  
Courtroom No. 2

“Court is now in session for the trial of Mr. Larry Butz.”

“The prosecution is ready, your honor,” said the man standing behind the bench across from Phoenix.

“The, um, defense is ready, your honor.” Oh boy.

“Ahem,” the judge said, seeming unimpressed. “Mr. Wright? This is your first trial, is it not?”

“Y-yes it is, your honor. I'm, uh, a little nervous.” Ugh, don't tell him that! Now no one was going to take him seriously.

“Heh heh heh…”

‘ _Oh great, the prosecution is already laughing at me… What a pain…_ ’

“Your honor, the rookie seems a bit scared. Perhaps a test is in order, to be sure that he is fit to stand in court.”

“Hm… That may not be such a bad idea,” the judge said. “What do you say, defendant?”

“W-whatever you think is appropriate, your honor,” Phoenix replied. ‘ _...Ugh… hands shaking… vision going black… It's like I've been poisoned! Or, wait, maybe that's just a flashback...._ ’

“Very well. In that case, could you tell me the name of the defendant?”

“Th-the defendant? S-sure. The defendant’s name is Phoenix Wri-” wait, crap! “-I mean, Larry Butz.”

“...Phoenix,” Mia said cautiously. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

‘ _No, but it's a little too late for that now!_ ’

“...Very well. Now answer me this- What was the victim’s name?”

“The victim’s name… uh…” he gulped. ‘ _Oh come on, I **just** read this! Cindy Swallow- no. Cindy... Block? Uh… Oh! I remember now!_ ’

“The victim’s name was Cindy Stone,” Phoenix said.

“Correct,” the judge replied.

‘ _Whew…_ ’

“And how did she die?”

“I-It was blunt force trauma to the head, your honor,” he responded, the details of the case slowly coming back to him as he managed to calm himself down.

The judge nodded. “It seems you have a basic understanding of the case. Now, perhaps you could explain how the trial system works?”

“Of course,” Phoenix nodded. “Let's see… Each trial can take up to a maximum of three days. If the defense wishes to contest a point of the prosecution, or vice versa, they can request that the judge allow them to battle it out. For each battle, the lawyer whose Pokémon faints first is determined to be the loser. If an attorney is grossly out of line, the judge can overrule an objection or assign a penalty without a battle having to take place. If you get five penalties, or if all of your Pokémon faint, you lose the case by default. It’s also traditional for the winning attorney to be rewarded one of the Pokémon from the loser’s team.”

“Correct,” the prosecutor said. “By the way, let it be known that in this case, the prosecution carries six Pokémon with them- the maximum number allotted for official battles. How many did you bring today, defense?”

“I-I, er… just one,” Phoenix said.

“I see then. In that case, I would recommend that you be cautious about the battles you pick, since I clearly have the advantage,” the prosecutor grinned. “They don't call me the ‘Rookie Killer: Winston Payne’ for nothing!”

“He’s got a point,” Mia said. “One battle, and if you lose, you're out. Meanwhile, if you wanted to attack him, you'd have to do it six times, without fail. Healing items aren't allowed in Kanto court battles either. All Payne has to do is convince the judge that he has strong enough of an argument that a battle is necessary. At least, that's what I would try to do in his position.”

“Right, uh... H-Hey Mia, do you think you could let me borrow Ami or Charley?”

“Charley is guarding the office, as usual,” Mia said. “And even if I did lend Ami to you, she only takes commands from me. You're on your own, Phoenix.”

“...Great…”

“Hey, don't give up now! A good lawyer can win a case without ever needing to resort to battling!”

“R-Really?”

“Of course, hypothetically speaking.”

“Ugh…”

“Ahem!” The judge cleared his throat. “I believe we have established Mr. Wright’s basic ability to stand in court. Now, let us proceed with the trial. Mr. Payne, your opening statement please?”

“Of course, your honor,” Payne said. “The victim, Cindy Stone, was found murdered in her apartment on July 31st. The estimated time of death is between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m.”

‘ _Right,_ ’ Phoenix thought. ‘ _That's what was in the autopsy report I got before the trial._ ’

“We found that the culprit had broken in through the front door of the victim’s apartment. Results confirm that the move Hyper Fang was most likely used to break off part of the door. Here, you can see a photograph of the damage.” Payne held up a photograph. “The main part that broke off was too chewed up to be of use to us, but we were able to get clear bite marks a bit further down the door. And those bite marks… perfectly line up with the fangs of the defendant’s Bidoof!”

Murmurs ran through the courtroom.

“I see!” said the judge. “Does the defense have anything to say on this?”

“Oh, um… The defense maintains that Larry Butz is innocent, your honor.”

“But the bite marks! Surely you must admit they are suspicious!”

“Well…”

“Phoenix,” Mia said. “Isn't there something a little bit odd about those bite marks?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Try taking another look at that photo,” Mia said. “Tell me what you see.”

“Um, okay…” Phoenix said. “I see one section by the handle that's really chewed up… and a couple of bites further down, near the bottom of the door.”

“Well, Mr. Wright?” the judge asked. “Is there something off about the placement of the bite marks?”

“...Yes, there is,” he said. “Look at the lower bite marks. You'll notice that most of the damage was done up higher, in order to break the lock. Now, Hyper Fang, while. a fairly strong move, is not enough to break a door after one use. Clearly, it was used over and over, in a very concentrated area. However, there are a few bite marks down towards the bottom of the door- which doesn't make any sense.”

“Is it not possible that some of attacks simply missed their mark?” The prosecutor asked.

Phoenix shook his head. “The marks are too far down, with no marks in between. Most likely, they were made at some other time- and are completely unrelated to the break in!”

“Objection!” Payne said. “The defense has no proof that these marks are unrelated!”

“Objection!” Phoenix countered. “The prosecution has no proof that they are related, either! The victim was the defendant’s girlfriend for quite some time- those bite marks could have been made weeks ago!”

“O-oof!”

The judge slammed his gavel down, ending the string of objections. “It seems that some examination of when the bite marks were made is necessary. What say you, Mr. Payne?”

“Y-yes, your honor,” Payne whimpered. “Regarding the matter of the bite marks, the prosecution would like to call the defendant to the stand, in order to testify.”

Mia nudged Phoenix’s shoulder lightly, grabbing his attention. “It sounds like you're about to have your first cross-examination. Are you ready, Phoenix?”

“C-cross examination?”

“...Don't tell me you've forgotten the basics of that, too…” Mia said.

“N-no, of course not! It's just, you know…”

“Look, it's going to be simple,” Mia said. “When your friend gets up on the stand, be sure to listen carefully to what he says. If there's any contradictions, be sure to point them out.”

“...And, uh, what happens if the contradiction isn't in my favor…?”

“Well…” Mia said hesitantly. “...Let's just hope it doesn't come to that.”

‘ _Oh boy…_ ’

* * *

“Will the witness please state their name and occupation?”

“The name’s Larry Butz. As for my occupation… I guess you could call me something of a freelancer.”

“The defendant has been both hired and fired by various employers over the last few months,” Payne explained. “He is currently unemployed.”

“Hey! Why you gotta put it like that?! Nick, raise an objection on this guy, would ya?!”

“Char!”

‘ _Uh… I can't raise an objection on **the truth** , Larry…_’

“Mr. Butz,” Payne said. “Did you visit the victim’s apartment on the day of the murder?”

“Well… Maybe I did and maybe I didn't. What's it to you?”

“Witness, answer the question,” the judge said. “Did you or did you not visit the apartment on the day of the murder?”

‘ _Come on Larry!_ ’ Phoenix thought. ‘ _Don't lie! You'll make it worse… Maybe I should send him some sort of signal…_ ’ Phoenix began to give what he determined to be subtle but exaggerated hand gestures.

“Um… Phoenix, what are you doing?” Mia asked. Phoenix ignored her, continuing to motion to Larry, who eventually saw him.

“Huh…? Oh- oh, yeah, I was there,” Larry said, much to Phoenix’s relief.

‘ _Yes, it worked!_ ’ Phoenix thought, looking proud.

“...Honestly, I don't even want to know…” Mia muttered.

“I was there, but I didn't murder anyone!” Larry said. “She didn't even open the door! I was knocking like crazy. But just like before, she wouldn't open up, so I gave up and went home.”

“Just like before?” Phoenix questioned.

“Yeah,” Larry said. “I'd been coming by for the last few days, because she wasn't answering any of my phone calls. But she never opened the door, not once!”

“As it turns out, the prosecution has an explanation for that,” Payne said. “You see, for week prior to her murder, victim was out of country. Here is Miss Stone’s passport- as you can see, she had only just returned the day of the murder.”

“Wh- out of county?” Larry asked. “N-no way! Why didn't I hear about that?!”

“Ah, but you did hear about it, didn't you, Mr. Butz?” Payne said. “You were quite furious when you found out, isn't that right?”

“H-huh? What do you mean?” Larry asked, confusion written across his face.

“Yes, please explain yourself Mr. Payne,” the judge said.

“Your honor, as it turns out, Miss Stone was, how do you say, less than reputable,” Payne said. “As it turned out, she had multiple ‘sugar daddies’, all of whom were unaware of each other.”

“D-Daddies? Sugar?” Larry asked.

“Miss Stone had recently gotten back from a trip to the Alola region, where she was visiting one of her many suitors. As you can see by her passport, she had just returned July 31st- the day of the murder.” The passport was accepted into evidence, and the prosecutor grinned. “Well, Mr. Butz? How does that make you feel- knowing that you were just one in a long line of lovers?”

“Phoenix,” Mia said sharply. “I don't think you want your client to answer that.”

Phoenix was inclined to agree, and was about to raise an objection. However, before he could even open his mouth, Larry Butz exploded.

“YOU JERKS! My Cindy wouldn't do anything like that!”

“L-Larry, calm down!” Phoenix tried to interject.

“Why don't YOU calm down Nick?! Seriously, what kind of a lawyer are you, letting them say those things about my Cindy! SCREW ALL OF YOU!”

“CHAR!” Red yelled along with his master, a large flame spewing out of his mouth. The flame was so big, the judge’s beard caught fire.

“B-Bailiff! Quick! A bucket of water!” He helped. The courtroom erupted into chaotic chatter.

“The witness just set the judge on fire!” “What a scary man!” “He needs to control his temper!” “I bet he murdered that girl after all!” “Somebody, arrest that Charmeleon!”

“....Chief, tell me the truth,” Phoenix said. “I wasn't this bad, was I?”

“Well, you didn't set the judge on fire, but...”

Phoenix groaned, his head hitting the desk, his arms slumping uselessly at his sides.

“Order! Order!” The judge said, slamming down on his gavel once his beard had been extinguished. “Well, I believe we’ve seen once and for all the true character of this witness!”

“Indeed your honor,” Payne said. “I see no reason for the trial to continue.”

“O-Objection!” Phoenix quickly interjected. “It was an accident, your honor! Larry’s Pokémon have always had trouble keeping their moves under control. Red was just over-excited, that's all!”

“Still, Mr. Wright, you can hardly expect us to deal with any more of these outbursts,” Payne said. “Why don't we have a battle to settle it? If you win, we’ll continue the trial. If you lose, the witness gets a guilty verdict.”

“Yes, that sounds like an excellent idea,” the judge said. Apparently, having his beard set on fire had made him quick to side with the prosecution. “Are you ready, defense?”

“Chief…”

“It looks like you don't have a choice, Phoenix,” Mia said. “The judge is ready to hand down his verdict at any moment. Are you prepared for this?”

“O-Of course I am. I have my longtime partner with me today. We’ve got this.” Phoenix turned to face the court. “I'm ready, your honor. Let's get this battle going!”

“Very well. Let the battle begin!” The judge said.

“Rattata, let's show this welp who's in charge!” Payne said, throwing out his PokéBall.

“-Tatta!” The Rattata cried upon its release.

“A-All right!” Phoenix said, choking down his nerves, trying to look confident. “I choose you, Karpy!”

“-Karpy?” Mia asked, but Phoenix had already thrown the ball.

“Kaaaaaarp!”

The Magikarp was released, and then promptly began flopping around on the hardwood floor, gasping for water.

“Karp! Karp! Karp!”

For the second time that day, the courtroom exploded into chaos. “Did that lawyer seriously send out a Magikarp?” “Ah! There's no water!” “Quick! Somebody, open up the floor!”

“Ack… K-Karpy, hang in there!” Phoenix shouted.

There was a loud humming sound of machinery being activated, and half of the courtroom battle floor began sliding away, revealing a deep pool underneath. Once there was roughly two feet of space open, the fish Pokémon flopped its way over and jumped into the pool as the floor continued to slide open. Phoenix gave a sigh of relief. Whew.

“...I thought you said this was your trusted, longtime partner,” Mia said.

“He is!” Phoenix said. “We’ve been partners for fifteen years!”

“...You named him ‘Karpy’...”

“I was nine!!!”

“Ahem!” The judge said, once again getting the attention of the court. “Well… That certainly was exciting. Mr. Wright, is your Pokémon all right?”

“Y-yes your honor,” Phoenix said. “Magikarp are pretty resilient... They can survive outside of water for a surprising amount of time without harm. Karpy, how are you feeling?”

“Karp Karp!” The Pokémon jumped out of the water a few times enthusiastically. The floor on the defense’s half of the field had completely rolled back, so there was plenty of room to swim around.

“Very well,” said the judge. “In that case, let the battle resume!”

“Rattata!” cried Payne, his voice coming out in an irritating shriek. “Use tackle!”

The Rattata gave a cry in response, as it rushed forward and slammed full-force into Karpy. The Rattata pushed off of the Magikarp, landing back on solid ground.

“Karpy, use splash!”

“Karp!” Magikarp replied, and he splashed around a bit.

....But nothing happened.

“....................”

“...Look, Phoenix, I have to go…” Mia said.

“C-Chief, wait! Give me a chance!”

“...Rattata, use tackle,” Payne said quietly, as if he could no longer be bothered to put in the effort to be excited. The Pokémon bonked into Karpy once again.

Even though the courtroom was practically dead silent by this point, Phoenix got the distinct impression he was being laughed at.

“Phoenix! Are you just going to let your Pokémon take hits like that, or what?!” Mia scolded.

“Ugh- Right,” Phoenix said, turning his focus back to the battle at hand. He wasn't doing himself or Karpy any favors like this. “Karpy, use tackle!”

“Rattata, use agility then dodge- Ack!”

It was too late, Karpy had already leaped out of the water. Like the Rattata, he slammed down full force, then rebounded back into the water, sending the Rattata flying.

“Rattata, shake it off and use tackle! ...Rattata…?”

The Pokémon didn't respond.

“...Is,” Phoenix stuttered, “Is it…?”

“...It appears,” the judge said, blinking a few times in surprise, “that the defense’s Magikarp has one-shot the prosecution’s Rattata.”

“...Eep!” said Payne.

“...Yeah!” said Phoenix, once he'd gotten over the shock of such a swift victory. “Way to go Karpy! I always believed in you, buddy!”

“Karp Karp!”

“...I don't believe it…” Mia said.

“Hey, I told you Karpy was tough!”

“In any case,” the judge says. “It seems that the trial will continue.”

Phoenix nodded. “So far, the defense has claimed that the prosecution’s argument has been nothing but speculation. The bite marks identified could have been made at any time.”

“I-In that case, your honor,” Payne said. “The prosecution would like to call their next witness.”

“....Next witness?” Phoenix asked. ‘Ugh, there's more?’

“Don't give up now,” Mia said. “Warm-up time is over. Now it's time to really put your skills to the test. Ready?”

“I-I guess…”

* * *

“GRRRRAAAAHHHHH!”

THWACK!

The toupee hit Phoenix across the face before he had time to react. It felt scratchy and oily, and it kind of smelled. It took every ounce of his willpower to not react unprofessionally to that. As he toupee finally slipped off his face, Phoenix remained rigid, biting the inside of his cheek as he glared at the witness.

“How dare you?! You accuse me, the witness?! I should send Raticate out to take a bite out of you! The defendant is guilty, do you hear me?! Guilty!”

Mr. Sawit was becoming more and more suspicious by the minute. Thanks to the blackout that day, he had to have heard the time from that ‘The Thinker’ clock. The only way for him to have done that was to head into the witness’s apartment. Nothing else made any sense! Therefore, the murderer had to be…

“Mr. Wright,” Payne said. “Your theory has one hole in it. True, we've found that the clock is running slow today. However, can you prove that it was running slow on the day of the murder?”

“I… doesn't that just stand to reason?” Phoenix said.

Payne shook his head. “It's possible that the defect happened just today. If you have no proof the clock was running slow the day of the murder, then your theory is just conjecture!”

‘ _Oh come on! How fair is that?!_ ’ Phoenix thought.

“Phoenix…”

“...It's impossible, Chief,” Phoenix said. “There's no proof it was running slow then- even if it's common sense!”

“True, you can't prove it. However, that doesn't mean that your reasoning has to end here.” Mia gave Phoenix a sharp look. “Turn your thinking around. Instead of looking for evidence that the clock was running slow, assume it was slow, and try to figure out why!”

‘Why the clock was slow…’ Phoenix looked down at his desk. The scattered case file, the thinker statue, the passport… Wait, the passport…

Suddenly feeling determined, Phoenix slammed down on the desk. “I've figured it out!” He proclaimed. “The reason the clock was slow was-”

“Oh, forget about the clock,” Sawit said. “It's a moot point. Who cares what time it was ringing. You've already got me there.”

“Wh-” Phoenix stuttered. ‘ _B-but I solved it…_ ’

“Your honor, I would like to amend my testimony,” the witness said. “I didn't want to admit that I'd stepped into the apartment… but it seems I've been caught.”

The judge blinked. “Then, witness, you're admitting to…”

“I admit it, I'm guilty… of stepping into the apartment,” he said. “You see, I saw the door had been broken down, and worried about the inhabitants, I rushed into the apartment without thinking. At some point, I must have accidentally set off that statue. My mistake!”

“Th-there, you see, your honor?” Payne said. “The witness was lying about entering the apartment… but he’s no murderer!”

“W-What?!” Phoenix exclaimed. ‘ _That’s cheating…!_ ’

“Hm…” the judge took a moment to think. “Mr. Sawit, your credibility has been shattered this trial. For starters, you have just admitted to committing perjury. And on top of that, you seem rather… uneasy.”

“Erk!” Sawit gasped, quickly trying to pull himself together. However, the strained smile he gave, along with the repeated motions of rubbing his hands together, served only to make him look even more suspicious.

“Y-your honor, wait!” Payne exclaimed.

‘Great, now what…?’ Phoenix thought to himself.

“The prosecution would like to remind everyone of the reason that Mr. Butz was indicated in the first place.”

“Why,” said the judge, “wasn't that the witness’s testimony?”

“Yes, that, and one other thing,” Payne said. “The bite marks.”

“...Oh, right…” Phoenix said. ‘I almost forgot about those…’

“Well, Mr. Sawit?” the prosecutor asked, “Do you own a Bidoof that knows Hyper Fang?”

“Ah, as a matter of fact, I do not,” Sawit said. “I see where you are going now, Mr. Prosecutor. Yes, it would have been quite impossible for me to break into the victim’s apartment, wouldn't it?”

“Objection!” Phoenix interrupted. “The defense has already proven that the Bidoof bite marks on the bottom of the door are irrelevant. The marks by the lock were too numerous to get any sort of distinctive bite mark. Any Pokémon knowing Hyper Fang could have broken in!” Phoenix rested his hand on his hip. “Mr. Sawit, you mentioned having a Raticate earlier, didn't you?”

“I- err-”

“Well then?” Phoenix slammed his hands on the desk. “Does your Raticate know Hyper Fang or not?!”

Sawit was hyperventilating at this point, gasping for air. “........” Then, all of a sudden, he went back to his, sleazy, smiley persona. “....No.”

“...Huh?”

“No. My Raticate doesn't know Hyper Fang,” he said, very slowly. “None of my Pokémon do.”

“Liar!” Phoenix said. “You're lying, Mr. Sawit! Or should I say, Mr. Did-it!”

“Oh yeah?” Sawit said. “Well why don't you prove it, then?”

“...Uh, Mia,” Phoenix said. “Can I prove it?”

“...You can,” Mia said. “With the wonder of technology.”

“Huh?” Sawit said.

“Defense, please explain what you mean by this ‘wonder of technology’,” the judge said.

“Your honor,” Mia said, “Nowadays, all PokéBalls collect electronic data about the Pokémon they capture. Many Pokémon Professors ask trainers to send this data back to them for research. Data collected includes the height, weight, and moveset of the registered Pokémon, along with other things. All of the data collected is registered into a large network, which effectively marks the Pokémon ‘captured’.”

“I see,” said the judge, nodding. “So that is why a captured Pokémon cannot be captured by another trainer.”

“Correct,” Mia said. “The Pokémon is assigned to a specific ball. There are circumstances under which that registration can be changed, but to keep things simple, let's ignore that for now.”

“So, what you're saying is,” Phoenix said, “-if we check the data on Raticate’s PokéBall… We’ll be able to see if it knows Hyper Fang!”

“Oh!” said the judge.

“Oh!” said Payne.

“Ack!” said Sawit.

Once again, Phoenix slammed on the desk. “Mr. Sawit,” he said, his arm swinging over to point accusingly at the witness. “You will let us see your Raticate’s PokéBall! And then we’ll see who the guilty party really is!”

“N-NNNNNNAAAUUUUGGGHHGG!” Frank Sawit cried out in fury, foaming at the mouth. And then he collapsed.

* * *

In the end, Frank Sawit confessed. As it turned out, he was a common thief. He had been staking out the apartment for several days, and therefore knew that Miss Stone was out. After waiting for Larry to leave, he picked the lock and entered the apartment. However, he was caught when Miss Stone returned from her trip earlier than expected. Sawit panicked and killed her. Remembering that he'd seen Larry’s Bidoof chew at the door, he decided to frame the murder on him, by locking the door and having his Raticate use Hyper Fang to break it.

After the confession, Larry Butz was given a “Not Guilty” verdict.

* * *

August 3rd, 2:32PM  
Saffron City Court  
Defendant Lobby No. 2

“I can't believe that Sawit thought to frame the murder on Larry like that,” Phoenix said.

“True, it wasn't very well thought-out, was it?” Mia said. “If he hadn’t thought to leave bite marks, we might have had a more difficult time implicating him. Then again, I feel like even if he hadn’t we would have gotten him in the end. You did good in there, Wright.”

“Th-thanks Chief, I-!”

“JUNNNNIOOOOORRRRR!”

“Whoa-” Phoenix said, turning towards the source of some loud commotion. “What the-”

“Junior! You’re safe!” Larry cried out, hugging his Pokémon tightly as it was returned to him.

“Biii-doof!” Junior called out, seeming equally happy to be reunited with his Pokémon once more.

“Well, it looks like everything turned out all right for your friend Harry.”

“It's Larry, actually… But yeah, looks that way,” Phoenix agreed.

“Nick!” Larry said, running over. “You really saved me back there! Thanks to you, Junior is okay!” Larry sniffled a bit, finally placing Bidoof on the ground. The Pokémon then went off to begin gnawing at the leg of the nearby couch as Larry continued, “Pokémon care about you no matter what… I guess the same can't be said about Cindy, huh?”

“Hm, I don't know about that,” Mia said. “I think she cared for you, in her own way.”

“Aw, you don't have to lie to me, it's okay,” Larry said.

“...No, I think she's right, Larry,” Phoenix said. “I didn't really get around to bringing it up in court, but… That clock you gave her? The reason the time was off, it was because she brought it with her to the Alola region.”

“Huh? Really?” Larry asked.

“...Have you ever traveled abroad, Mr. Butz?” Mia asked. “Generally, you only bring along things that are lightweight or necessities, to make it easier on yourself. Your clock is pretty clunky. To have brought it along with her… I think it makes a statement, don't you?”

“...C-Cindyyyyy!” Larry sobbed.

“There, there,” Mia consoled, with almost motherly patience. “This is no time for tears. You were just proven innocent. I think this calls for a celebratory outing. Phoenix, what do you say?”

“I’d love to, but I can't,” he said. “Shakespeare was sick this morning, remember? I have to go home and check on him.”

“Fair enough,” she said. “Some other time, then. My little sister has been talking about coming over from Ecruteak City in the Johto region, just to pay me a little visit. Perhaps we could all catch up then.”

“Sounds good to me,” he said. “See you later, Chief.”

Phoenix opened the door. No sooner had he stepped out, than a grating voice rang out.

“There you are! I was wondering how long you were going to make me wait. Kids these days…”

Phoenix turned to face the man. “Prosecutor… Payne, right? What are you doing here?”

“It's traditional for the losing party to give up one of their Pokémon to the winner. You said as much yourself, correct?”

“Oh- Oh yeah! I almost forgot about that, to be honest… Uh…” Phoenix scratched the back of his head awkwardly. “A-Are you sure it's all right for me to…”

“Hmph. Believe it or not, I took plenty of Pokémon, back in the day. If I refused to give up my Pokémon for a loss, it would be hypocritical of me.”

“I guess so…”

“Now, come on out, all of you!” Payne said, throwing out five of his PokéBalls. Five Rattata shot out, several of them crying out as they were released.

‘ _They’re- they're all Rattata…_ ’ he thought to himself. ‘ _And people were ragging on me for Karpy…_ ’

“The Rattata I used in court today is here,” Payne said, holding out the PokéBall. “Take your pick- they're all roughly the same level, with roughly the same moveset. I bred them all myself.”

“...Wait, if you bred them all yourself, shouldn't you have two Raticate?”

“One Raticate and a Ditto, actually. I didn't bring them to court with me today. Ditto isn't much good for battling. Raticate is a decent fighter, but since I was facing a newbie, I didn't think I would need my strongest Pokémon.”

‘ _Ouch…_ ’

Phoenix looked over the Pokémon. Well, as Payne said, they looked to be pretty much the same, and it didn't seem like Payne had a preference, either. He debated taking the Rattata that he'd defeated in court, but he didn't want the Pokémon to feel like they were being traded away for losing. He knelt down.

“So, uh, I don't really have a preference either, so… Any of you guys want to come with me?”

The Rattata all stared back him blankly. They then looked amongst each other, and then, one Rattata silently stepped forward.

“Well, looks like it's you,” Phoenix said. He looked up at the prosecutor. “Uh, is that-”

“It's fine by me,” he said, returning the Pokémon to its PokéBall, handing it over to Phoenix.

“So, does Rattata have a name, or…?”

“I don't name any of my Pokémon,” Payne replied. “You can call that one whatever you like.”

“All right,” Phoenix said. He looked down at the PokéBall. He'd have to come up with a good name later.

“Well, that's that,” Payne said.  “You may have bested me this time… But just you wait! Soon, you'll know the true power of Payne!”

“Uh… yeah…” ‘ _Is it just me, or does that sound really uncomfortable?_ ’ Remembering that he has some place to be, Phoenix excused himself, making a quick exit.

‘ _Still, I've gotta admit,_ ’ he thought as he unchained his bicycle, ‘ _As annoying as that guy was… I guess he's not terrible. Kind of a pain, but at least he’s honest. And he gave up Rattata fair and square, so, there's that. I mean, I guess he probably would have been shamed for not following tradition if he didn't, but… I know I wouldn't be happy if I had to give away Shakespeare. Or Karpy._ ’

He glanced up at the sky. It had been lightly overcast this morning, but now darker clouds were starting to roll in. He would have to hurry if he wanted to stop by the Pokémon Center on his way home. He hoped Shakespeare would be fine until he got back. And Sparky too, the poor thing; he always got so restless during thunderstorms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here it is, the Pokémon AU me and my friend came up with. As you can see, it's going to be a mash up, where some things are the same, but a lot of things are different. Let me know what you think! I'm trying to come up with a way to include court battles that isn't boring. I'm thinking I'll focus more on figuring things out during the investigation phase, so that you can figure things out along with them.


	2. Turnabout Sisters: Goodnight

September 5th, 2016  
Fey and Co. Law Offices  
Saffron City, 4:49 PM

“Hey Chief,” Phoenix said, entering the back office. “I found the files you were looking for. Silph Co., right?”

“...”

“Uh… Chief?”

Mia didn't respond. She appeared to be completely absorbed in a file on her desk. Taking a closer look, Phoenix saw her lips move just barely, as if she were silently reading aloud. He shifted back and forth awkwardly, not really sure if he should interrupt her train of thought. He cleared his throat, and Mia finally looked up.

“Oh, Phoenix,” she said. “Sorry about that. Are those the files I asked for?”

“Yeah,” he said, relieved, finally walking over. He handed the files over to his boss, who took them with a grateful smile. “What were you looking at, Chief?”

“...Something I’ve been working on for a long time,” Mia said. “...Tell me, Phoenix, what do you know about Silph Co.?”

“Uh… well, they’re one of the leading inventors of technology, aren’t they?” Phoenix asked. “They’re responsible for manufacturing modern-day PokéBalls, as well as having patents on various technical machines, and a ton of other inventions as well.”

“Very good,” she said.

“Well, it’s nothing that isn’t basic knowledge,” he responded humbly, scratching the back of his head.

“True,” she said. “They’re very famous, even outside of our region. Some even say they’ve got a monopoly on the market- at least, when it comes to Johto and Kanto.”

“So… why do you have all these files on them?” Phoenix asked. “Are you looking into them or something?”

“You could say that,” she answered cryptically.

‘In other words, that’s not for me to know, I guess.’

“...Phoenix,” Mia said seriously. “...In the near future, I may ask for your help with something. It carries a certain amount of risk, so I don’t want to give you all the details just yet… But it’s something big. Something that could really shake the foundation of what the public believes.”

‘ _Th-that sounds… pretty serious…_ '

“...Don’t make that face,” Mia said, her expression turning soft. “Really, there's nothing to worry about. I won’t ask anything of you for a while yet. There’s still a few critical pieces I’m missing. Until I have those, I couldn’t possibly ask to get anyone else involved.”

“Chief…”

“...You look tired, Phoenix. Why don’t you head home for the day? I don’t want you to be half-asleep when you finally meet Maya.”

“Maya…? Oh! Right, your sister!” he said. “I forgot she was coming tonight… What time should I stop by?”

“Her train isn’t set to come in until later tonight… Why don’t you stop by the office around 9:00? I’ll make reservations for 9:30.”

“All right, sounds good,” Phoenix said. “In that case… see you later, Chief.”

“Goodnight Phoenix, see you later.”

Phoenix nodded, and gave her a small wave. Leaving the back room, he nodded to the Pokémon standing guard outside. “Goodnight Charlie,” he said.

“Exeggutor!”

Phoenix stepped out of the office, closing the door behind him. At the time, it felt like the normal ending to a regular day. In retrospect, it was an action which would seem very final.

* * *

 

September 5th, 5:25PM  
Saffron City  
Phoenix Wright’s Apartment

“I’m home!” Phoenix called, dropping his briefcase onto the floor. He took off his jacket, hanging it up on the coat rack. Maybe he should be taking better care of it, and hang it up on a hanger. However, he couldn’t really be bothered, and it wasn’t like he was throwing it on the floor, either.

“Cooo!” Sparky crowed from the other room. Phoenix stepped in, yawning, despite himself.

“Hey Sparky. Did you behave today?”

“Coo!”

“Hmm...” Phoenix turned back towards the aquarium. “Karpy, did Sparky behave today?”

“Kaaarp!”

“Well, if Karpy says so, then it must be true.”

Sparky crowed indignantly, and Phoenix laughed.

“I’m just teasing,” he said soothingly. “I know you’re usually well behaved.” He still seemed a little upset, so Phoenix pet him affectionately. “Hmm… Where’s Shakespeare and Rattata?”

“Coo!” “Kaaarp!”’

“Real helpful…” Phoenix sighed, heading towards the bedroom to begin his search. Shakespeare was one thing, but Rattata was always hard to find in the apartment, for some reason. The Pokémon must have been shy because there were many times it seemed to randomly just… disappear. It must have taken to hiding under the bed and behind furniture, or something like that. It made Phoenix worried a lot, wondering if the Pokémon had run away. Still, it wasn’t like he and Rattata got along badly, or anything…

With a click, the bedroom door opened.

“Smeargle!” Shakespeare greeted him, lying on the bed.

“Hey buddy,” Phoenix said, walking over and patting the Pokémon. “And I’m guessing that lump over here must be-”

Phoenix pulled some blankets, expecting to find Rattata. Instead, he found a purple pillow. Which was pretty unusual, seeing as he didn't own one.

He blinked, then rubbed his eyes a bit. When he opened them again, there was Rattata, napping on the bed.

“...Mia must have been right. I’m so tired I’m seeing things,” Phoenix sighed. “I guess I should take a nap before heading out tonight.”

“Smeargle!”

“Yeah, yeah, dinner for you guys first.”

* * *

 

September 5th, 9:06 PM  
Saffron City  
Outside the Fey and Co. Law Offices

“Crap, I'm late,” Phoenix cursed, getting off his bicycle.

He chained the bike quickly to the bike rack. Hopefully Mia wouldn't be too mad at him. Traffic was mostly to blame, but perhaps Phoenix should have left a little bit earlier.

In the elevator ride up, Phoenix contemplated his excuse. Well, as long as they weren’t late for their reservation, that would be fine, right? Come to think of it, Chief had made reservations for 9:30… Had she counted on Phoenix being late? That would be a little embarrassing… No, she probably just wanted enough time to go over introductions before they all headed out.

Phoenix reached the office door, and, sighing in relief, went to open it. However, at the slightest pressure, the door creaked open- someone had left it slightly ajar. The lights inside the office were dark. His stomach dropped.

Something was very wrong.

Choking down his fear, he opened the door. “C...Chief?” he called tentatively. Silence answered him. He stepped into the office, unable to shake the horrible feeling he had. The Chief wasn't the kind of person to play pranks, so…

Phoenix froze suddenly. ‘ _Where’s Charlie?_ ’ Normally, he should be in the office. Sometimes the Chief had him join her in the back office, but that room was just as dark-

At that moment, Phoenix became aware of a sound, coming from the back room. It was soft, which was why Phoenix hadn't picked up on it before. It sounded like… someone was crying…

“Chief… Mia!”

Phoenix burst into the back room without thinking. In fact, it took quite some time before he was able to form a coherent thought. Even as his legs stopped moving- even though he had trouble breathing- his brain couldn't process why.

Charlie was slumped against the desk- fainted. The desk was in total disarray- papers and desk ornaments scattered everywhere. The phone was on the floor. By the window, there was a girl Phoenix had never seen before. She was crouched down, and crying.

However, Phoenix wasn't able to fully register any of that, because there, over by the crying girl, with her head slumped forward as she sat crumpled on the ground, was-

“...M...Mia…”

The shock of hearing another voice cause the girl to jerk her head up in fear and surprise. There were still tears in her eyes, and although she was no longer actively sobbing, they continued to roll down her cheeks, like an endless flood.

Phoenix approached slowly. Nothing felt right- or real. “You… who are you?” He asked, kneeling down. “Mia… is she-?”

“I-”

That was all the girl could get out before she fell. As dazed as he felt, Phoenix was surprised he had the reflexes to catch her in time. The girl crumpled against him, unconscious. Was it shock, or exhaustion, which had caused her to pass out?

Just how long had she been there, crying?

The next thing Phoenix knew, he was in the other room, placing the girl on the couch. He didn't remember having made the choice to put her there- it just seemed to have happened, as if someone else had taken ahold of his body, for a little bit.

This was wrong. The Chief was in the other room all alone. She shouldn't be all alone, she- She might need help, and-!

Phoenix went into the other room. Despite himself, his feet dragged. He kept trying to tell himself to hurry, before it was too late… But deep down, he already knew. When he knelt down and grabbed Mia’s wrist to check for a pulse, he already knew what he would find. Even so, he pressed his head against her chest, listening for any sign of a heartbeat, when the result from her wrist came back unsatisfactory.

He knew what the silence meant. He knew that it was already too late for CPR.

She was gone.

Unable to deny it anymore, a sob finally burst forth from Phoenix’s chest. He shifted slightly, moving to cradle Mia’s limp form against his chest as he cried and cried, until grief finally gave way to numbness.

He didn't know how long he held her for. By the time he was able to think again, the warmth of her body had already faded away.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short Chapter, I know! I've been sitting on this for a while, because I wanted to write a scene worthy of Mia's death, but even now, I'm still not sure I got it quite right. Hopefully, I won't keep encountering big blockers like this. Next chapter will be longer.


	3. Turnabout Sisters: Good Morning

September 6th, 2016  
Detention Center  
Saffron City, 9:06 AM

Phoenix rubbed his eyes, trying to pull himself together. Questioning had kept him up late- and now it was long past sunrise. They had technically released him hours, but here he was in the detention center, waiting for the detention center to open so that he could talk to Maya… That was her name, right? Yeah, Maya…

He sighed, leaning back against the chair, head rolling up to face the ceiling. His eyes were closed. Ah, this was no good. He had to hold himself together. That’s what Mia would have wanted. Mia… would have wanted him to defend her sister. He was certain about that much. Memories of the previous night came flashing back through his mind. The phone. The girl. The note. The detective. The beginning threads of a mystery, with no culprit yet in sight, no matter what the police said.

Hearing a door open on the other side of the glass, Phoenix straightened up as a young girl was escorted to her chair. It was the girl in the apartment: Maya Fey. Mia’s sister- the one she had so badly wanted him to meet. How could it have come to this?

The girl looked uncertain, so Phoenix decided to take the lead. “Hello Maya,” he said. “...I guess we didn’t get to introduce ourselves properly before.”

The just looked at him. She seemed so sad. “You… You’re Mr. Wright. You worked for my sister…”

“That’s right,” he said, nodding. “So, I guess you can figure out why I’m here.”

“...Are you… going to be my attorney?”

“I would like to, if that’s what you want. It’s up to you.”

“...You know, my sister… she told me all about you.”

“Huh? S-She did?” Maybe now wasn’t the time to ask, but Phoenix had to know. “W-What did she say?”

Maya paused, gulping as she tried to pull herself together enough to answer. “S-She… What she said was…”

* * *

August 3rd, 2016  
????   
????

“Today was my junior partner’s first day in court.”

“Wow, really? How’d that go?”

Mia laughed over the telephone. “It was quite the scene! Honestly, I was on edge the whole time. It’s been a while…”

“Ha! So, he crashed and burned?” That must have been rough.

“...He’s a genius,” she said, surprising Maya. “One of those ‘strike fear into the hearts of evil’ types. And while his Pokémon look fairly unassuming, they pack more of a punch than one might think. Even I was surprised. The only thing he’s lacking is… experience.”

“Huh, sounds like it was fun! Well, I know who to go to if I ever get into trouble now!”

“I don’t know, Maya. I think you may want to wait… give him three more years. That is, unless you want to be found guilty.”

Both sisters had a good chuckle at that.

* * *

September 6th, 9:10 AM  
Saffron City  
Detention Center

“And, yep! That’s what she said!”

“...” Phoenix couldn’t bring himself to answer. He tried to keep his face neutral, but disappointment welled up inside him. So, that was what Mia really thought of him. Well, she could have been more cruel, he supposed. His first experience was pretty rocky. And now… He’d never have the chance to prove to her that he could do more. His thoughts must have shown on his face, because Maya immediately looked guilty.

“...I-I’m sorry!” she said. “I didn’t mean to upset you…”

“No, it’s okay,” he assured her. “It’s true, I guess.” He was just a novice, with hardly any battles under his belt. He had passed the battles in the entrance exam with flying colors, but so had everyone he’d be facing from now on. Like Mia said, he lacked experience. “...At the same time, I can’t just sit and watch!”

Somewhere out there was a murderer who was about to walk free. Just because of a piece of paper. Just because the police were so willing to jump to conclusions. Just because Phoenix wasn’t experienced to know what he was looking for. “When I think of the person who did this to Mia…” Phoenix’s hands clenched into fists as he stared at the floor. He was trying so hard to keep it together, but Maya was trapped here, Mia was dead, and god, he was so _tired_.

“...” Maya was silent for a moment. “...I know…” she said, her voice cracking.

Phoenix sighed, forcing himself to look back up. The tears had returned to Maya’s eyes, threatening to spill over. Great job, genius, getting the witness to cry. What had Mia always said to do in situations like this?

_Talk about something else to calm them down._

Right, okay, he could manage that. He took a breath to steady himself. “So, um, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask,” he said.

“Hm?” Maya asked, dabbing at her eyes with the corner of her sleeve.

“What’s with that outfit?” he asked, immediately regretting it. Okay, sure, it was… kind of weird looking, but that didn’t mean he could just go ahead an insult a crying teenager’s clothes! While they were essentially in jail, no less! Thankfully, Maya didn’t seem to mind.

“Oh, this?” she said, pulling her sleeve away from her face and glancing at it. “This is what all the acolytes in Ecruteak City wear. It’s like my uniform, you could say.”

“A-Acolytes? Wait, what is it you do, exactly?”

“Oh, it’s nothing strange!” she assured him. “I’m a spirit medium! ...In training.”

“A _spirit medium_ ?!” ‘ _I’m pretty sure that qualifies as strange!_ ’

“Uh-huh. The Fey family, especially the women, have always been sensitive to the spirit world. Mia was first-class in her spiritual ability! But, she left the village. ‘To follow her career,’ she always said.”

‘ _I… had no idea…_ ’ Phoenix thought. Had Mia not told him, because he might find it strange? Or perhaps, she simply didn’t feel the need to ever bring it up. He liked to think that it wasn’t because she didn’t trust him… How many things about Mia had he never been told?

“...W-Wait, so you’re a real, honest-to-goodness spirit medium? With E.S.P. and all that?”

“Yep, that’s me, certified spirit medium… in training.”

“W-Well, can’t you contact Mia’s spirit then?!” If they could only do that, then this case would be over in no time! “We could ask her who killed her, and-!”

Maya’s head ducked down. “...I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m still in training. I couldn’t do something that advanced yet… Besides, I would need-” Without warning, her head shot up, and she nearly jolted out of her chair. “Ami!”

“Huh?”

“Ah, please… Where’s Ami?!”

“Oh, you mean Mia’s partner Pokémon?” he asked. “I don’t know… I’d assume the police are holding onto her and Charley.”

“P-Please, Mr. Wright, I need you to get Ami,” she said. “You see… Ami’s special.”

“Special? How?”

“Well… It’s kind of complicated. Maybe I’ll be able to show you some day,” she said. “But for now… I need to know that she’s safe.”

“All right,” Phoenix said. “I’ll see if I can claim custody of her, temporarily. The same with Charley.”

Maya nodded. “...And, if you can… would you mind taking care of Burgers for me, too?”

“Huh? Burgers?” Phoenix asked. “You want me to bring you food?”

“Ah, no,” she said. “Burgers is the name of my Pokémon. When I first got him, Mia said I should name him after something important to me, so…”

“........”

“A-Anyways, see if you could get ahold of him for me!”

“...Okay, I’ll do my best,” he promised. “Anything else I can do for you?”

“Um… well, just one thing,” she said. She reached into her robe pocket, and pulled out a piece of paper. She slid it through the small gap in the glass. “This is the address of a famous lawyer. My sister gave me this a long time ago, and told me to call him if I was ever in trouble. A-And, well… I’m in trouble. ...Could you ask him to represent me?”

It stung a bit, as Phoenix took the paper and glanced over the address. Well, he couldn’t blame her. If it were his neck on the line, he wouldn’t want a rookie either. “...Sure, why not,” he said. “I’ll ask him.”

“Thank you!” Maya exclaimed, sounding relieved. “It’s just… I have no one else to turn to.”

“Hm? But, surely your parents-” Phoenix fell silent as he saw the look on Maya’s face. It told him everything he needed to know. “...Ah. I-I see.” Foot one, mouth zero. “Don’t worry, leave it to me.”

“Thanks. The trial’s tomorrow, at ten.”

“Oh, okay, I’ll tell him- Wait, ten o’clock?! That’s really short notice- What if the guy refuses?!”

“They told me that if I don’t find an attorney, the state will give me one. As long as I have an answer by four o’clock today, I should be fine.”

“Right. In that case, I’ll get a move on. I’ll have your answer- and hopefully your Pokémon- before four o’clock. I just need to rush home and feed my own Pokémon first. I bet they’re all pretty worried, since I didn’t come home last night.”

Maya looked surprised. “You mean, you were in questioning this whole time, too?”

“Well, not the whole time, no. But I wanted to stay here, so I could talk to you when visiting hours opened.” ‘ _And to ask to be your attorney. But I guess that’s a bust._ ’

“I… I see…”

“Don’t worry, Maya. This will all be sorted out, in the end. You’re not going to be declared guilty.”

“Mr. Wright…” Maya closed her eyes, then nodded with determination. When she opened her eyes again, they were tearless. “Thank you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I'm sorry to leave you with something so short after such a long break, but here it is! I've been replaying Pokémon Silver after downloading it from the eShop, and it's been helping revive my muse for this AU! I want to get to Saffron City before I write the next big part of this fic, but we'll see how fast I can get there. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy!


	4. Turnabout Sisters: The First Investigation

September 6th, 2016  
Phoenix Wright’s Apartment  
Saffron City, 9:47 AM

“I’m home.”

Phoenix was aware of how flat he sounded. Normally, he would've been a bit more enthusiastic than that. Right now, he didn’t have the energy to care.

“Gul!” Smeargle poked his head out from around the entryway wall, before rushing over to his trainer. He must have been waiting for Phoenix to come home, and gotten restless. The man bent down to pet the Pokémon. From his bedroom, he heard some rustling. Sure enough, when he looked up, Phoenix saw the slightly ajar bedroom door being pushed open wider by a long beak. Sparky poked his head out, letting out a nervous coo.

“Hi Sparky,” he said, resulting in a slightly more relieved coo as he hung up his coat and took of his shoes, stepping into the living room.

“Kaaaarp!”

Phoenix glanced over at the giant tank. “Hey Karpy,” he said, still speaking in his tired yet gentle tone. Unlike the other two, who seemed mostly happy to see him, Karpy caught onto his trainer’s mood rather quickly, and gave Phoenix a look of concern. The defense attorney just sighed and shook his head. Glancing back down, he saw Shakespeare was catching on now, and Sparky, who was now mostly through the door, seemed to be doing the same.

“Hey guys,” Phoenix said again. “You know, um… You know Mia?” He glanced around. “Sparky, I know you never met her, and Karpy, you barely got to see her, but… She’s gone…” He swallowed to keep from choking on his words. His throat felt tight. “She’s dead.”

There was a silence which fell over the apartment. Pokémon couldn’t speak in the language of humans, but they could understand. Although Phoenix didn’t see it, as he shut his eyes and hung his head, his Pokémon looked at each other, trying to figure out how to comfort their trainer. Shakespeare snuggled up to Phoenix’s leg comfortingly, and Sparky gave a concerned yet quiet trill from where he stood. Phoenix finally forced himself to look back up, opening his eyes and blinking back tears with a small, shaky gasp.

“A-Anyhow-” he said, “Mia’s sister, Maya… she was accused of the crime. But it couldn’t have been her- I can just tell. I-I couldn’t get hired as her attorney, but-” Phoenix reached into his back pocket, pulling out a PokéBall. “-I was asked to take care of her Pokémon. We’re going to be watching him for a bit until this mess gets cleared up. So be sure to welcome him, okay?”

The Pokémon all called out in agreement. “Good. Okay, come on out, Burgers!” Phoenix pressed the button on the PokéBall, sending out the Pokémon.

“Munchlax!”

‘ _Huh, so it’s a Munchlax. Weird,_ ’ he thought, watching the Pokémon look around confusedly. He wouldn’t have expected that kind of Pokémon to belong to a girl like Maya. “Hey, uh, Burgers?” he said tentatively, trying to get the Pokémon’s attention. The Pokémon turned towards him. “Yeah, hey. My name’s Phoenix. Um, Maya’s in a bit of trouble at the moment, so she asked me to look after you for a bit.” Phoenix gestured to his Pokémon. “This is Shakespeare. Over there is Karpy. And the Pokémon in the doorway over there is Sparky. Rattata is… around here somewhere. I’m sure Sparky can introduce you later,” he said.

The Munchlax looked around at the different Pokémon for a moment. “Munchlax!” he finally greeted.

“Smeargle!” “Kaaaarp!” “Coo!”

“All right, while all of you get acquainted,” Phoenix said, “I’m going to feed you. Then, I’m heading out to do some work for Maya. Burgers, you stay here with Sparky and Rattata. Karpy, Shakespeare- you're with me, okay?”

The Pokémon responded by calling out their understanding, and Phoenix got started on breakfast.

* * *

August 6th, 11:35 AM  
Saffron City  
Outside the Fey & Co. Law Offices

‘ _Whew… I can’t believe breakfast was that rough,_ ’ Phoenix thought to himself. ‘ _Gotta remember to pick up some more Pokémon food on my way back tonight- that Munchlax is gonna eat me out of house and home!_ ’

Phoenix chained his bike and took the elevator up to Mia’s office floor. He made his way towards the Fey & Co. Law Offices, but before he could enter, the door was flung open by a screaming policeman.

“Run for the hills!” He shouted, booking it past Phoenix towards the stairwell. “That office is haunted!”

‘ _Haunted, huh?_ ’ Phoenix thought. ‘ _I think I might just know who’s behind that_.’

Phoenix opened the door, only having to duck immediately to avoid a book being thrown at his head. Glancing inside the office, it looked like a scene out of Poltergeist. Cabinets and drawers were slamming open and shut, and things were flying all about the room. A couple of officers, and a familiar looking detective, were barricaded behind some couches and a coffee table.

“Hey! You there!” The detective called. “What are you doing pal?! It’s dangerous, get out of here!”

“I work here!” Phoenix called, running over and hiding next to him. “I think I can help!”

“Listen, unless you’re some kind of medium, I don’t think you can help a lot here. The victims spirit looks pretty mad, pal!” A book flew over the detective’s head.

“It’s not the victim that’s causing this,” Phoenix said. “It’s her Pokémon!”

“What?! A Pokémon is causing all of this?!”

He nodded. “Yeah! She’s normally not this bad… She must be upset because she found out Mia died.” There was a sound of glass shattering, and honestly, Phoenix was afraid to look. “Have you found a PokéBall lying around here?”

“Uh, lemme think,” he said. “I remember there being two in the desk of the back office. We figured one was for the Exeggutor that was in here earlier and took it, but we weren’t sure what the other one was for, so we left it there to preserve the crime scene.” A painting- one that Phoenix had never really liked, anyways- went flying into the opposite wall. The detective flinched. “Although, I guess that doesn’t mean a whole lot now.”

“Okay, I’ll be right back,” Phoenix said. After bracing himself, he made a bee-line straight for Mia’s desk. He was able to reach it without too much trouble. He opened up a drawer, and like he’d been told, there was a single PokéBall inside. He took it out, preparing it. “Okay…” he said, before looking around the room. “Ami!” he called. “I know you’re upset! But you have to stop this!”

“Dreeeeee!”  An eerie voice called back out of nowhere.

“Come on! Come back to your PokéBall!” A file flew up and smacked Phoenix against the chest. “Ugh…” This was a disaster. Ami was always mischievous at best, but the only one who could ever really get a hold on her was Mia. Phoenix could empathize with the Pokémon’s distress, but right now, she was just causing more problems.

Sighing, there was only one thing Phoenix could do. He climbed up onto the table, spread his arms and shouted, “Jee, it sure would be a shame if someone came up behind me and pulled my hair!”

One of Ami’s favorite pranks. It was obvious bait, but it had never failed to get her to materialize in the past. Phoenix just had to wait. A little more… a little more…

When he finally felt the hairs at the back of his next prickle with a ghostly presence, he knew it was time.

“Gotcha!” he shouted, whipping around before the Misdreavus could latch on.

“Dree!” The Pokémon cried as it was forcibly returned to its ball. As she was sucked in, everything that had been flying around the office dropped to the ground. Finally, there was silence.

“Hey there,” the detective said, appearing in the doorway as Phoenix climbed off the desk. “Nice going, pal! You really showed that ghost who’s boss!”

“Well, someone had to stop her.”

“You better hold onto her nice and tight, you hear? I don’t want that Pokémon causing any more trouble for the investigation!”

“Y-Yessir! Don’t worry- she won’t be any more trouble to you.”

“Hmm… Come to think of it, you look kind of familiar…” The man looked pensive for a moment. “Hey, yeah, that’s right! You’re that guy from last night!”

“That’s me,” Phoenix said. “And you’re that detective- Detective Gumshoos.”

“Yep, that’s me!” He grinned. “...Hey wait a minute! That’s the name of a Pokémon, pal!”

‘ _Aw, darn. I was sure I had it right._ ’

“The name’s Dick Gumshoe, pal! And don’t you forget it!” The prideful look on Gumshoe’s face fell into something more serious. “In any case, you must be the killer’s lawyer, huh?”

“She wasn’t proven to be a killer yet!” Phoenix objected. Gumshoe didn’t seem convinced.

“Well in any case, if you’ve got business here, you’d better do it quick!”

‘ _Looks like he thinks I’m Maya’s lawyer. I’d correct him, but… Maybe I can use this to find out more about what happened._ ’ Now that he had Ami under control, maybe he could get on the detective’s good side. “Last night… the reason you arrested Maya was because of that piece of paper, right?”

“Eyep!” Gumshoe said. “That paper with the killer’s name written with the victim’s blood- it was just the evidence we needed!”

“But, are you sure that Mia wrote that message?”

“Well, given the state of things, it’s hard to tell either way. Still, pretty suspicious, don’t you think?”

‘ _Hmm, so there’s no proof Mia wrote it…_ ’ he thought. “Did you find any other pieces of evidence?”

“Not much pal. We did find a cellphone that seemed to belong to the killer. But since we already knew she was here, it doesn’t have much in the way of evidence.”

“Oh… Well, if it’s not evidence, can I have it back?” he asked. ‘ _I’m sure Maya would like me to recover her possessions, if possible…_ ’

The detective seemed to think it over. “Well, we’ve already written down the numbers of all of her recent calls, so I guess it shouldn’t be a problem,” he said, handing it over. “Besides, I owe you one for helping us out earlier.”

“Yeah…” Phoenix said, looking around as he pocketed the phone. “Sorry about that. Looks like your crime scene is ruined, huh?”

“Well, it’s not all that bad. We did manage to get pictures before things started flying around the office.”

“Pictures? Can I see them?”

“Hey now, I already gave you the phone!” Gumshoe said. “Just how generous are you expecting me to be?! Besides, weren’t you here last night? Just use your own memory if you want clues!”

“Ugh, I guess I should have seen that coming… How about the autopsy report?”

“Now, what did I just say?!”

“Sorry, sorry! It’s just…” Phoenix sighed. “...She was my boss. I really looked up to her. I want to be able to help.”

“...Now, come on, don’t look at me like that,” Gumshoe said, shifting awkwardly at Phoenix’s sad gaze. “...All right, all right- you can take a look! But that’s it, okay?!”

Phoenix wasn’t allowed to take the file with him. However, reading it over gave enough information. The victim had died from blunt trauma to the head. She had died instantly.

So at least there was no pain.

Satisfied for now, Phoenix handed the file back to Gumshoe. “So, about the trial-”

“Yeah! I’m really looking forward to it!” Gumshoe said. “Sorry pal, but you aren’t gonna win this one! The city’s put Prosecutor Edgeworth on the case!”

‘ _Edgeworth…_ ’

“You know what that means, right?” Gumshoe asked. Clearly, he expected Phoenix to know Edgeworth from his reputation. He wasn’t entirely wrong to assume that.

Phoenix _had_ heard the rumors. The alleged back-alley deals. The ruthlessness of the prosecutor in court.

He’d never thought he’d have to face him so soon.

“...In any case, I think that’s all I wanted to know for now,” he said. “Thanks detective, I’ll be seeing myself out.”

“Wait, one last thing!” Gumshoe said. “I know you’re planning on talking to that witness. Well, don’t even think about it, pal!”

“The… witness?”

“Yeah, Miss April May! Sorry, but my lips are sealed! I can’t tell you a thing about her!”

‘ _Well, you just told me her name, for starters._ ’

“...So, you’ve sent her home already?”

“Aha! Your lawyerly tricks won’t work on me! Too bad for you, she’s not leaving her room until the trial!”

‘ _So she’s still in the hotel._ ’ Phoenix forced himself to fake a sigh. “Well, I guess I should know better than to try to get a detective to leak information.”

“You’ve got that right, pal!”

‘... _Right. In any case, time to pay a visit to Miss May!_ ’

* * *

September 6, 12:35 PM  
Gatewater Hotel  
Room 303

“H-H-Hey! No touching!”

Phoenix jerked away from the drawer he’d been inspecting. “I- Uh-”

“Such a bad boy! You really shouldn’t poke around people’s rooms, you know!”

“Wiggly~”

“Uh, y-yeah, sorry.” Phoenix hadn’t meant to snoop. ...Well, okay, he _had_ meant to snoop. But of all the things to keep in a hotel room, a screwdriver seemed a bit out of place- and there was one quite clearly sticking out of that drawer. “In any case, I was hoping you could tell me what you observed during the incident last night.”

“Ooh. ‘Observe,’ ‘Incident’!” The woman winked. “You sound just like a lawyer in the movies! I like a man with a big… vocabulary.”

“Wiggly~”

Phoenix gulped. ‘ _Umm… Help!_ ’ He had to stop encouraging her. “Erm- a-anyway… the thing that occ- ...um, happened- yesterday? You know, the bad thing? What did you see when it happened?”

“Um, well- Dream on! I’m not going to tell you anything!”

“Oh, come on! Not even about yourself? Pretty please?”

“Ooh, Mr. Lawyer! Are you hitting on me?”

“N-N-No! Hey, I’m doing my job!” he said. ‘ _Even though technically, this isn’t my job. Man, I feel bad for the poor sap who actually has to cross-examine her._ ’

“Wiggly~”

“And can you get your Pokémon to stop doing that?!”

“Hmm? You mean June?” Miss May glanced back at her Wigglytuff. “What’s wrong with her?”

“I don’t know, she’s just making me very uncomfortable for some reason!”

“Tee hee! You know, you’re cute when you blush!”

“Um, eheh, right…” Phoenix stuttered. ‘ _Oh boy…_ ’ Looking for a change of topic, Phoenix glanced at the table. “So, uh, I see you have two glasses there. Is someone staying with you?”

“Oooh! What amazing powers of observation! You must be one of those famous detectives, like on television!”

“Wiggly~”

“Oh, ah, no, not me! I’m just a lawyer!”

“Say, Mr. Big Detective,” Miss May continued. “Why don’t you go look for clues… in the garbage? Hmm?”

‘ _I… think that’s my cue to leave,_ ’ he thought. ‘ _...Might as well go get Maya’s lawyer. Hopefully I’ll be able to pass on some useful information. Although…_ ’

“Wiggly~”

‘ _...I don’t think any of it will be from her._ ’

* * *

September 6th, 1:45 PM  
Saffron City  
Grossberg Law Offices

The first thing he noticed was the painting. Now, he’d never been fond of the painting in Mia’s office, but something about this painting felt just… bizarre to him.

“Ah-HHHHEM!!”

Phoenix was broken from his musings, turning to face the man who appeared before him. “So, you’re the one who I was told was looking for me,” the man continued. “Hm? That badge on your lapel… Ah, so you’re a lawyer, are you now?”

“Y-Yes, well… yes,” Phoenix responded. ‘ _Weird, why do I get the feeling I’ve met this guy before? ...Oh well._ ’

“Well then, what do you want? I’m not particularly busy these days… Please, proceed!”

‘ _For someone who’s supposedly not very busy, I sure had to wait here long enough!_ ’ Although, to be fair, Phoenix had spent most of his time looking into Mia’s murder.

Grossberg- that was his name- looked like he was waiting patiently for a response.

“W-Well sir,” Phoenix said finally, “Actually, it’s about Maya. Maya Fey.”

As soon as Phoenix mentioned her name, the elder lawyer’s entire demeanor changed. The man went from puffing out his chest to almost flinching back- a fact which didn’t go unnoticed by Phoenix.

“Ah… yes. Maya Fey. Go on…” As soon as Phoenix began to explain, he was cut off. “A-cha-cha! I really am quite busy here, son. I can’t go taking cases on a day’s notice! No, quite impossible!”

That was fair, Phoenix supposed, only-

“W-Wait a second! How did you know the trial was tomorrow?!” He hadn’t explained that part yet!

“Urk! Ahem!” Grossberg was clearly making an effort to look composed. “A-Anyways, I’m afraid it’s entirely impossible for me to represent her, sorry. End of discussion.”

‘ _What’s going on?! Even before I could properly ask him, he…_ ‘ No, this couldn’t be happening...

‘... _What am I going to tell Maya?_ ’

The thought of Maya, sitting alone in that cell, while Phoenix was forced to tell her that her one hope was all for naught… It ignited his anger. “How can you just refuse like that?! This is Mia Fey’s sister we’re talking about! Mia trusted you to help keep her safe...!”

Grossberg offered up some pitiful deflections, none of which even came close to satisfying Phoenix. “Creep,” he said. “Fine. I don’t have time to argue with you anyway. I’ll go look elsewhere.”

Phoenix turned on his heel, marching towards the door. It was only by chance that he caught part of what Grossberg was saying.

“...-think not.”

“Huh? Did you say something?” Phoenix asked, anger still giving his words some bite.

“I think not, I said.”

Phoenix’s blood turned cold. “Wh-what do you mean?”

“I’m terribly, terribly sorry... but I’m afraid that no lawyer worth their salt will take in this particular case. Terribly sorry, m’boy.”

Truth be told, he did look sorry. Phoenix was hit by the sudden realization that Grossberg wasn’t just being a jerk- he was telling the truth.

“Why?!” He demanded answers.

“I… cannot say.” That was all Phoenix got. “I beg your pardon, but can you leave? Now? I’ve got nothing more to discuss with you.”

‘ _Well, I guess that’s that…_ ’ Phoenix thought. ‘ _...Now what am I going to do?_ ’

* * *

September 6th, 3:42 PM  
Detention Center  
Visitor’s Room

Phoenix had tried to wheedle answers out of Grossberg. He asked his connection to Mia- turned out, he had mentored her. Maybe that was why he looked familiar. However, no matter what Phoenix said, he couldn’t guilt-trip the man into giving him any more relevant information. After a particularly frustrating conversation where Phoenix assured the man that no, he did not want to buy that pretentious-looking painting, he could stop insisting that it was not for sale- Phoenix had given up on trying to win the lawyer over. He returned to the detention center, a failure.

When Maya came out, he forced himself not to look too down. If he couldn’t act confident, how could she?

“Hiya,” he said.

“Oh, you’re back!” She said, perking right up. “Did you find the lawyer?” Straight to the point then.

“Um, well…” What should he tell her? What could possibly make this news ok? “Well, see… I… I really don’t think you should use that guy. He… didn’t seem healthy. He was all skin and bones!”

Wow, once Phoenix started the lie train, they just kept right on coming, huh?

“...What really happened?” Maya asked. Shockingly, it appeared she wasn’t fooled. Phoenix had always been bad at lying when he was emotionally invested. “...Don’t tell me… he refused…?”

“Urp!”

“...I see…” she said, hanging her head. “I’ve been abandoned, then.”

“H-Hey, no, that’s not true!” Phoenix said. “...For starters, look who I’ve got with me!” He reached into his pocket, pulling out a PokéBall.

“I-Is that-”

“Ami,” Phoenix confirmed. “She was causing some havoc over at Mia’s office. I guess she was pretty upset.”

“...Ami was Mia’s partner,” Maya said. “Their bond… it was special. What if… What if Ami won’t listen to me?” Maya looked at Phoenix with teary eyes. “What if she hates me?”

“N-Now come on!” Phoenix said. “She might not want to listen to you… But I doubt she hates you! You’re Mia’s sister after all!”

Maya nodded, wiping her tears away. “...What about Charlie?”

“I did some asking around. It seems like the police are holding onto him for now. We might be able to take him back tomorrow. And don’t worry about, um, Burgers, either. I introduced him to my Pokémon back at my apartment. As far as I can tell, they’re getting along great.”

“That’s good…” Maya said.

“I brought something else for you, too,” Phoenix said. He pulled out Maya’s cellphone.

“Ah, that’s!” Maya exclaimed. “Can I see that?!”

There was a small gap in the glass between them where small items could be passed through. Granted, nothing could be snuck in with a guard present- not to mention security cameras. Maya wouldn’t be allowed to keep anything he showed her, either. But for now, just holding it seemed to be enough.

“I-” Maya swallowed. “I have a recorded conversation on here… The last time my sister ever spoke to me.” She blinked back tears. “I… want to hear her voice…”

“...Well go on then,” Phoenix said. “Play it.”

Maya nodded. She held the phone up to her ear, and hit play. Out of courtesy, Phoenix tried not to listen in. Eventually, she nodded, and handed the phone back to Phoenix.

“...Thank you.”

“Of course.” For a couple of seconds, there was silence. “I, um… So, is there anything else you need?” Phoenix asked. “Do you need me to make a phone call for you, or…”

“...No, I’m fine,” Maya said. “There’s no one to call. ...I only had my sister. My father died when I was very young. And I don’t know where my mother is.”

“Don’t know?”

“...The women in my family have been mediums for generations. They say that E.S.P. runs in our blood. About fifteen years ago, our family was involved with a… an incident. There was a man, and he… he…” Maya looked down again. “...He ruined our mother’s life. After that, she disappeared. Several years after that, my sister announced she was going to become a lawyer, and left the mountains. She was going to go after the man who had ruined our mother, and our family reputation.”

“I… I see…” Phoenix said. He honestly didn’t know what else to say.

“...White.”

“Huh?”

“That was his name,” Maya said. “Mr. White. He was the one who...”

“...What did he do?” Phoenix asked.

“...Like I said before, fifteen years ago, there was an incident- an unusual murder case.”

‘ _Murder?!_ ’

“It made quite a stir, everyone was talking about it, apparently. The police were running out of leads, and they were getting desperate…”

“Wait, they didn’t use a spirit medium, did they?”

Maya nodded. “The police convinced my mother to try and contact the victim.”

“Wow…” Phoenix said. For some reason, he couldn’t imagine the police doing something like that. It just seemed so bizarre. “So, what happened?”

“The case was solved… Or so we thought. The man my mother helped the police capture was innocent.”

‘ _Innocent?! But then… Did the spirit lie, or…?_ ’

“The police’s consultation with a medium had all been carried out in secret, of course. But… a man found out about it and leaked it to the press. He told all the papers that my mother was a fraud, and the media jumped on it big time. She… my mother… became the laughing stock of the nation.”

“...I see.” To be fair, it wasn’t hard to see why. If Phoenix had heard such a story on the news… He probably would have believed she was a phony too.

“...In any case, just a little longer now before the state-appointed lawyer comes, I guess.”

Phoenix checked the clock. 4:00 PM. His time was up. Still… What should he do? He’d already heard that most lawyers would refuse to take her case. Maybe that didn’t apply to state-appointed ones, but still… Could he really just leave her and go home?

“...I’ve made up my mind!” he said.

“Huh?”

“I’m going to defend you whether you want me to or not!”

Maya looked startled. “Why?” she asked. It wasn’t accusatory. Rather… she looked as though she simply couldn’t believe it.

‘ _Why?_ ’ Phoenix thought. ‘ _Because, no one is as sad as a person without any friends. I know… I’ve been there. A long time ago._ ’ Memories flashed through his mind. It was so long ago, and yet…

‘ _...Why did I become a lawyer? Because someone has to look out for people with no one on their side._ ’

“Maya,” he said. “I won’t abandon you. You can count on me.”

“...That’s so kind of you…” Maya sniffed.

Phoenix nodded confidently, trying to instill some of his own determination in Maya. “Let’s fight this one and get you out of here!” he said.

“R-Right! Thank you!”

‘ _Finally, she’s smiling,_ ’ Phoenix thought. ‘ _She looks like an entirely different person with a smile on her face._ ’

“I trust you…” Maya said. “So you trust me too, okay?”

“It’s a deal,” he replied.

That day, Maya and Phoenix pledged to trust in each other. It was a pledge which would hold wind up holding true for the rest of their lives…

However short that timeframe might be.

* * *

September 6, 4:45 PM  
Gatewater Hotel  
Room 303

There was just one thing left that was bothering Phoenix as he left the detention center. Miss May had seemed awfully defensive when he’d tried to investigate her room. It just didn’t sit right with him, so despite knowing that he probably would be blocked from investigating, he decided to give it another go.

Fortunately, it seemed as though Miss May was absent from her room when Phoenix arrived (it turned out, she was actually just using the facilities in the other room). Unfortunately, there was someone else present. A bellboy of the hotel was delivering room service at the time that Phoenix arrived- meaning he couldn’t snoop without being called out.

However, it seemed his luck hadn’t run out quite yet. The bellboy seemed to have other things he wanted to attend to. Phoenix’s only regret was that the man seemed to believe he would be… _staying_  here with Miss May.

‘ _Thanks, but I’ve had my fill of suspiciously cute and flirty girls who wear a lot of pink._ ’ Not that Miss May was anything like… Well, now wasn’t the time to think on that. In any case, as long as it got the bellboy to leave…

“Ah, I almost forgot!” the bellboy said, right before he left. “Might I ask you to inform Miss May that there is a message for her? Please tell her that Mr. White of Silph Co. phoned.”

“Oh right, sure,” Phoenix said, and the bellboy took his leave. ‘ _Mr. White… of Silph Co.?_ ’ Maya had mentioned a Mr. White. That might have just been a coincidence, only… Hadn’t Silph Co. come up in a recent conversation?

‘ _I’ll have to think about that later_ ,’ he thought. ‘ _If I want to investigate before Miss May finishes up in the bathroom, I’d better hurry.._ ’ A part of him felt kind of weird for sneaking around while a woman was showering in the next room, but he was doing this because he had to, not because he was some kind of weirdo!

Keeping in mind that what he was doing was definitely _not_ a weird invasion of privacy (he had more than one reason to be suspicious of her!), Phoenix rustled around the drawer Miss May had seemed so keen on protecting earlier. Sure enough, there was the same screwdriver from earlier, and…

“Well, what do we have here?” Phoenix said, pulling out the object. “...A… wiretap…?”

‘ _I knew I had a reason to be suspicious!_ ’ he thought to himself: ‘ _What would a woman like her be doing with a thing like this?_ ’

Phoenix snapped a photo of the wiretap. He would probably get in trouble if he tried to steal it, but the picture should be proof enough. Miss May wasn’t allowed to leave her room. That meant she wouldn’t be able to dispose of the wiretap. The police  could check her room to make sure Phoenix wasn’t lying about its existence, if it came to that.

‘ _For Maya’s sake, I’ll get to this woman’s bottom! Wait, I mean… You know what I mean._ ’

Phoenix wasn’t sure why he felt compelled to try and correct his own thoughts to himself.

“Oh bellboy~?” Phoenix heard Miss May call for the other room.

‘ _Welp, I’m out!_ ’ Phoenix thought. ‘ _I look forward to seeing you in court tomorrow, Miss May! For now, time to review the evidence… and pick up some extra Poké-food on my way back, I guess._ ’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your patience. I'm sorry it took so long. Your words of encouragement are always appreciated though, and I hope that you continue to enjoy this story as it unfolds. It's still very closely following the original tale, and a good number of lines are taken directly from the game. This will naturally start to deviate as the story goes on, but what are your thoughts? Would you like me to keep it from being so exact?
> 
> On a more fun note, I still haven't nailed down exactly what everyone's Pokémon should be. What do you think Grossberg's should be? I'm leaning towards Garbodor or Snorlax, but I haven't decided yet. Have any Pokémon suggestions? Feel free to write them down. I might not use them, but I'm curious to see what you guys think!


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